F650 Dakar ( 2007 ) - whats to like / dislike ?

[phooey]

I know a fair few on here will have had these. Seriously considering this as an all rounder, everything except 2 up touring ( as I have something else for that ). I would appreciate any info including ease of servicing etc. Thanks.

 

[Timolgra]

Brilliant bikes, bomb proof, long service intervals, great fuel economy/fuel range, relatively cheap, good enough handling, strong brakes, powerful alternator plus many options on how to improve further still.

A much better bike than XCountry....... although wait for the flak

Change the seat for long distance though.

 

[seahorse]

I too am thinking of one as a commuter in place of my K75. I will be keeping a close watch on FS section.................

 

[mikeTR]

Many consider them a girlies bike

Somewhere I once read its the best average bike, and that probably sums it up well, Jack of all trades, master of none. Maintenance is easy, although they do benefit hugely from some carefully chosen upgrades, mainly in the suspension area.


This is mine when it was clean




and dirty, so its no garage queen




It's not an adventure bike. I know this from reading the 'what is an adventure bike' thread. Wish I had known before I took it somewhere hot




or indeed somewhere cold




But if you find yourself on tracks like this



and want to see what is at the end.....just because, then as long as you remember it's not an adventure bike, but a girlie bike to compliment a proper GS then it should make it to the end



Forgetting all this, I entered the K2 Kielder rally where it promptly disappointed, by finishing without drama.




And still not learning my lessons about getting the right bike for the task in hand, I sent it over to Italy looking like this last week, so that I can ride around the Baltics, safe in the knowledge that no one will see me riding it. The problem is, it has never let me down once so I suspect I will be bringing it home as well without any mechanical dramas




And this is just because I like the picture. It reminds me how long I had to stand on that little hill looking for my mate on his 1150GS that was stuck in the sand somewhere









.....And yes, all said with tongue firmly in cheek


I think they are great bikes and underrated. Just ensure the one you buy has had proper maintenance. Most of the so called problems stem back to missed, or poor maintenance. If you do get more serous about one, I'll happily point out some of the things to look for.

 

[Timolgra]

Many consider them a girlies bike

Somewhere I once read its the best average bike, and that probably sums it up well, Jack of all trades, master of none. Maintenance is easy, although they do benefit hugely from some carefully chosen upgrades, mainly in the suspension area.

The girly bike bit is all banter mate, I've just been out on my wife's Sertao (very similar) and loved it.
Agree with everything you've said

 

[phooey]

Many consider them a girlies bike

Somewhere I once read its the best average bike, and that probably sums it up well, Jack of all trades, master of none. Maintenance is easy, although they do benefit hugely from some carefully chosen upgrades, mainly in the suspension area.





I think they are great bikes and underrated. Just ensure the one you buy has had proper maintenance. Most of the so called problems stem back to missed, or poor maintenance. If you do get more serous about one, I'll happily point out some of the things to look for.

Thanks, I guess I expected as much. Like the standard bike but need the extra seat height. Looks like you have had fun

 

[Timolgra]

Thanks, I guess I expected as much. Like the standard bike but need the extra seat height. Looks like you have had fun

If anyone needs a slightly taller than standard seat my wife's custom made one will be for sale shortly

 

[mikeTR]

The girly bike bit is all banter mate, I've just been out on my wife's Sertao (very similar) and loved it.
Agree with everything you've said

ssshhhhh.... I like having a girly bike but I wouldn't want a XCountry, now that really is a girls bike

Thanks, I guess I expected as much. Like the standard bike but need the extra seat height. Looks like you have had fun

If anything mine is too tall for me. I have raised the bike 2 inches from a Dakar, which is higher than a standard F650GS, with the suspension upgrade, and also raised the seat height.

 

[Dansin]

Can't really add much more to the above. If you want to have one bike that can pretty much do it all then you'd do a lot worse than the Dakar. It will tour 2 up quite happily too as long as your not looking to do 90 on the motorways.

 

[GS-Express]

I love mine (of course). My little couphews (cousin-nephews) love it too!

It's heavy enough that it sits solidly on the road, even in high winds, but not too heavy that you can't pick it up if/when it goes down. Mine goes through a bit of a vibration band about 82-85mph, but I've (by not paying adequate attention to speed when overtaking) had it up to over 90mph and it didn't feel too uncomfortable. It also has a good bit of grunt at the low end.

It's bloody easy to work on. As said above, a few standard things to watch out for - apparently the water pump need replacing before 30-40k miles, and some are susceptible to corrosion on certain part of the engine casing. The previous owner of mine had upgraded the suspension, which makes a big difference, and added an aftermarket seat, which also makes a huge difference. I recently put on a Scorpion can, which (apart from making me sound like a bit of a wanker) has made much more of a difference than I expected - def a bit more peppy when accelerating.

I reckon the Twinspark (2004-2007) model is best. Single spark are apparently less fuel efficient, and the new model (2008+) have too many electrics for my liking.

Also agree with everything said above, although I may be a little biased. It is certainly not an "offroader", but will do pretty much anything else.

Other options I initially looked at were Varadero, Transalp, Tenere, and TDM... and one other that escapes me right now.

Up to you in the end, but I have certainly had very few probs with mine, and most importantly, it is a joy to ride.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Micky]

Wonderful bikes

Easy to service yourself. 55,000 miles on mine, Gracie 80,000+ on her first, 50,000 on her second .... no issues, no problems

Usual head bearings, water pumps, suspension linkages can be a problem from time to time, but easily sorted

What's no to like?

Keep in mind though they are a girlie bike

 

[mikeTR]

As predicted the girlie bike did well

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?383533-Balkan-Bimble-(Italy-Greece-Albania-Montenegro-Bosnia-amp-Herzegovina-Croatia)&p=3927535#post3927535